August 12, 2017

I don’t understand the need for fear / racism.

Good morning and great weekend to you. This will be a short post as who really wants to hear me rant on and on for longer than it takes to pour more rum in your glass? Ok I have been well. After surgery with all the complications I have in other health areas and with being denied my normal medications for so long, I got really ill. I seem to be coming back, I am happy and have no real issues with my recovery. I am fighting an emotional distress issue at night with nightmares right now along with unwanted feelings. But I shake it off and have good days. That is the thing to take about me, I am having good days and I am happy.

Now about this race issue and all these white nationals and white supremacists seeming to come out of nowhere. First what is the difference between the two? Second what is the difference between them and the older hate groups like the KKK?

The state of Virginia just declared a state of emergency because the rally / demonstration went violent and got out of control. I had thought the hate for people of a different skin was dying out with an older generation that we excused as simply not able to understand the false nature of their views. Seems that not only did these old people keep the hate going in their children and grand kids, they also infected the kids their kids hung around with this hate. It is spreading every sense some people gave credence to a skin color as the enemy after 9 / 11. It seems it is far easier to hate than try to understand cultures and motives.

Motive is what I want to address on racism and what I don’t understand. I have worked with, been friends with, have respect for, and enjoy the company of people of different skin colors, different first languages, sexualities, and genders. I never once thought to see a difference between them and me based on skin color alone. Some people are smarter than me and I learn from them, some are less educated or skilled in an area I am good at and I share that if appropriate. What I am saying is people spending time with other people are all just people. What is so hard about the concept or people are people?

Do people from different areas have different cultures? Yes they do. We in the United States of America have cultural traditions also. I think the July 4th celebration is ours alone. The people on TV tell me that the white nationalist / supremacists are worried about losing the white majority in society. They worry that the unconscious privilege white people have even when they do not realize they have it. The idea that things will be as it was in their grandfathers day, and the frustrations they feel with new accents they feel they shouldn’t have to deal with. Well I remember as a young man in the 1980’s in Germany I had many German friends. We would go out places and I would order from menus and talk with people. I had horrible German. I really have trouble with languages and I admit I slaughtered German badly. But no one got angry and everyone spoke english back and helped me, very friendly. I would listen to U.S. soldiers talk of how hard it was to get stuff in restaurants and stores, how no one seemed to understand what they wanted or would wait on them. I found this so strange and was confused, it was totally different than I experienced. One day in the cafe I sometimes went to with my friends they explained why it seemed so easy for me. I did not treat the German people like they were less than me. I did not expect them to change their ways and speak my language. I treated them with respect , and they returned that respect. See even though I did not speak it well I did try to use German. The German people saw that as a sign of respect. I did not give attitude. So the German people responded to that. The truth is most people in Germany spoke English far better than we in the military. I understand their feelings. Now what does that have to do with what is happening here. The fact is the nationalist / supremacist are not even seeing the people of different culture or race as people equal to them. Regardless if the person of color is a citizen or their family has been in the U.S longer than the white person the supremacist feel equality or respect.

SO they are worried about losing white majority and the white privilege they have come to expect. They don’t realize the lives they live now have been influenced by others not white and that did not have english as the first language. Also why are they afraid of us becoming a more homogenous country. Given enough time it is normal for the country to change and become a generally intermixed country. I think the people so worried about the loss of majority are afraid that the new majority nonwhites will treat treat the new minority whites the way the whites treated the non whites when they could. That is their fear. They were jerks and now fear those people will be jerks to them. They got away with treating others as less than, it scares them that they may be treated that way.

The solution is simple. So simple even the nationalist / supremacist can easily understand. Treat everyone the same and regardless of race and treat everyone fairly. Everyone. Fairly. it is easy. Then no one needs to fear. We will be one country. We will be more prosperous and our country will have a better standing with other nations.

I call on everyone to not accept the fear and hate. I ask people to stand up to it when you can. Do not engage in it your self. If you a race is deficient because of a single person or two, go be around others of the same race. Find a larger group and you will see they are as different as you and your race are.

Even with the news people trying to explain it, I guess I am slow of thought because I can’t understand why anyone in this day and age acts like that, on that idea. I feel ashamed when I see the news reports of what my fellow countrymen do. I feel anger when they hurt others to somehow prove they are the better ones. We are stronger together as a place of people of many races, cultures, gifts. I am sad. Hugs

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Hi Scottie, I lived in Germany from 1971 to 73 and also encountered the same dynamic, no matter how fractured the German just trying cracks much ice. I also taught German for many years and would let my students know that substituting English words is always acceptable there; in fact it’s downright cosmopolitan to know many English words 🙂
I am now learning Arabic because one of my students was Palestinian, if he would take the trouble to learn German I would take the trouble to learn Arabic. By good fortune I have a knack for language, and know that learning them is a great way to dissolve arbitrary borders.
Thanks for your post 🙂

Hello Bill. I admire your gift. I never understood why being multilingual upsets some people. I wish I could learn another language. I bet your students appreciate your willingness to learn their the language they speak. Thanks for the comment. Hugs

I appreciate your your thoughts a lot, while I do enjoy expressing myself, I know in the process I can be terribly personal at times, it’s can be such a touchy thing to those involved…

I always wondered what the outcome would be of doing so and it seems this morning I’ve gotten my wish, someone I expressed myself about has discovered it, I figure I have two choices bow down or face it, you’ll see in later expression posts in the future I’m not all that into being pushed, kinda glad it happened I needed to cross that bridge in a sense, it was stifling my creativity to a degree…

All in all I thank you for given consideration to my thoughts and expressions, as unimportant or odd they can be at times lol…

Well Cory when I write I figure it may lead to a discussion. However in the end if people don’t like what I write they don’t have to read it. It is the same for what you write. IF they don’t like it they don’t have to read it. Be well. Hugs

I am a 54 year old gay man who has been very lucky in life. Life is an adventure and I live it that way. I am in a long term married relationship with a wonderful man I adore. This is our 27th plus year together.

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